BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Rivier women's lacrosse team defeated Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Simmons, 9-7, Saturday afternoon at Daly Field.
With the win, the Raiders improved to 8-8 (6-6 GNAC), while the Sharks fell to 3-10 (3-8 GNAC).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Simmons jumped out early, scoring two of the game's first three goals. Sophomore Brooke Carter answered for Rivier at the 7:51 mark to knot the score at 1–1. After the Sharks regained the lead, the Raiders responded with three straight goals. Junior Sofia Cebrero sparked the run with a woman-up free-position goal at 4:34. Nearly two minutes later, Carter set up first-year Olivia Wheeler on the woman advantage to give Rivier a 3–2 edge, and Wheeler followed with another goal off a feed from sophomore Keegan McGaheran to make it a two-goal lead.
- First-year Chloe Waldron opened the second quarter with a goal, finishing a pass from Cebrero. Simmons closed the half with two late tallies, cutting Rivier's lead to one heading into the break.
- Simmons carried that momentum into the third quarter, scoring twice in the opening five minutes to take a 6–5 lead. Carter responded to tie the game once again, and junior Shaelyn Burke then found Cebrero to put Rivier back in front, 7–6. First-year Hayleigh Young added her first goal of the afternoon with 3:08 remaining in the quarter, giving the Raiders a two-goal cushion.
- The Sharks pulled back within one at 8:14 of the fourth quarter. Both teams had quality chances throughout the middle of the period, but neither could convert. With 1:31 left, first-year Emma Finch sealed the 9–7 victory with an unassisted woman-up goal.
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Carter and Cebrero paced the offense with three points each.
- Junior Alysha Hok led the team with four ground balls.
- Young and junior Madelyn Poulton each caused two turnovers.
- Young added five draw controls.
- First-year Arrianna Imbriano made six saves in the win.
UP NEXT
The Raiders return to action Wednesday, April 22 for their Raider game against GNAC foe and intrastate rivals New England Col. The opening draw is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Joanne Merrill Field.
